Golf tee for correcting a hook or slice



NOV. 29, 1956 C, W, POST GOLF TEE FOR CORRECTING A HOOK OR SLICE Filed Jan. 2. 1964 MMU/W United States Patent O 3,288,470 GOLF TEE FUR CORRECTING A HOOK R SLICE Charles W. Post, Eastview Drive, V3, Maywood Park, P.O. Box 182, Chesterland, Ohio 44026 Filed Jau. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 335,007 9 Claims. (Cl. 273-207) This invention is directed to an improved golf tee and more particularly relates to a golf tee which enables golfers to control the direction of flight of a golf ball hit from such tee.

The major problem with which the vast majority of Igolfers is confronted is that of controlling the direction of flight of the golf ball. The common experience of most -golfers is to have the golf ball execute either what is referred -t-o as a hook or a slice, i.e., a sharp curving of the ball in fiight to the left or right respectively, depending` upon the particular deficiencies in the swing of each individual golfer. Prior to this invention, there has been no satisfactory solution to this problem, other than improved proficiency resulting from continued and extensive practice.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a novel golf tee which is relatively simple in construction and which will enable the ordinary golfer to achieve continually straight drives.

It is another object of 4this invention to provide a golf tee which will enable a golfer to control the direction of fiight of the golf ball by rotatably indexing the position of the golf tee and golf ball relative to the face Iof the golf club contacting same.

Yet another object is to provide a device for controlling the direction of the golf ball and simultaneously enabling a golfer to achieve greater distance from his drives.

Other objects, advantages, and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following more detailed description of the invention.

These and other objects are achieved by means of this invention in which an improved golf tee is provided which comprises a base portion and a pair of vertically extending flexible fingers attached thereto. Each of the fingers is positioned on the base portion so that it is generally diametrically opposite the other finger and spaced therefr-om a sufiicient distance to support a golf ball near its midportion when placed between the fingers.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the inventi-on may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of the golf tee with a golf ball properly positioned thereon;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the tee;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views from the rear and front sides of the tee respectively; and

FIGS. 5-7 schematically illustrate the positioning of the golf tee and golf ball thereon relative to the face of a golf club when employing the device of this invention.

Referring now more in detail to FIGS. 1 t-o 4 inclusive, the golf tee of this 4invention is indicated generally by the letter T. A base portion 1 is shown with a pair of flexible vertically extending fingers 2 and 3 attached thereto, either as an integral part of the base portion as illustrated, this being the preferred embodiment, or connected thereto by conventional fastening means such as snap means, a tab and slot engagement, etc. Base portion 1 has a front 3,288,470 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 ICC Wall 4 and an undercut 5 in the rear side thereof. Undercut 5 is designed such that it will partially receive the face of a golf club when the club contacts lball B positioned on the tee T and thereby permit the ball to receive the entire initial impact of the club and to be freely removed therefrom. Front wall 4 is of such height that it -is below the lower surface of a golf ball when the latter is placed on the golf tee. Accordingly, the front wall will not come in contact with the golf ball and thereby impede its takeoff from the tee but will somewhat rigid-ffy flexible fingers 2 and 3 to insure adequate support for the ball. Tapered portions 6 and 7 of flexible fingers 2 and 3, respectively, are designed to receive the impact from a golf club when striking the ball and tee and to yield under pressure of the club.

The golf tee also has a pair of lip members or ledges 8 and 9 located on the inside of fiexible fingers 2 and 3 which assist in supporting and positioning a golf ball placed between the flexible fingers, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Lip members 8 and 9 are so located on fiexible fingers 2 and 3, and lingers 2 and 3 are spaced apart a suliicient distance that a golf ball will be resiliently gripped approximately at the midpoint (equator) thereof by the upper end portions of such fingers. As illustrated, the fiexible fingers are thus the sole means for supporting -or gripping the golf ball substantially about Vits horizontal midportion -or equator, with the aforementioned ledges or lips supporting and vertically positioning the underside thereof. The top surfaces or tips of fingers 2 and 3 are also sloped slightly upwardly from the back to the front side of the tee, as indicated at 10 and 11. By sloping the tips of the lingers in this manner, they will be in a position approximately level with the ground at the moment when the golf ball is driven therefrom by impact of the golf club, since the club will ordinarily tip the tee slightly forwardly when making contact with the ball.

The golf tee illustrated will be used as follows. Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7 inclusive, a golf ball B will be positioned on the tee between flexible lingers 2 and 3. The device can be rotatively indexed about its vertical axis either clockwise or counterclockwise and by adjusting the position of the tee and golf `ball relative to the direction of conta-ct between the golf ball and the golf club W, the direction of flight of the lball can be controlled. The tapered fingers 2 and 3 will give the golf ball a spin either clockwise or c-ounterclockwise depending upon the particular position of the tee. For example, the position illustrated `in FIG. 5 is such that the ball and tee are in placement for a slice, that is a sharp curving of the golf ball t-o the right (for a right-handed golfer) upon leaving the tee. Similarly, FIGS. 6 and 7 Iillustrate the positioning for a straight drive and a hook, respectively.

In consequence, this device will enable the ordinary golfer to hook or slice a golf ball whenever he so desires. Since the golfer will know beforehand the usual deficiences in his swing, that is, whether he has a normal hook or slice, he can compensate for this simply by indexing the tee to afford the desired counterinfluence. If the golfer normally has a hook in his drives, he would position the tee and golf ball as shown in FIG. 5. If his drives normally slice, then the golf ball and tee would be positioned approximately as illustrated in FIG. 7 to compensate for this. If the golfers drives are normally straight, then, of course, the tee would be positioned as shown .in FIG. 6, that is with the club face squarely striking the golf ball midway between the fingers.

The device herein illustrated also enables golfers to obtain greater distance in their drives. Since fingers 2 and 3 are flexible and the ball is gripped therebetween, it will be retained within the tee for a fraction of a moment longer than with the normal tee. This will cause the ball to be resiliently compacted to a greater degree by the impact of the club and consequently offer less resistance to fiight during the first few seconds thereof.

This device will normally be made of rubber or a flexible plastic, such as polyethylene. However, other similar materials can be employed with the only requirement being that fingers 2 and 3 be of a flexible resilient material. To that end, base portion 1 lcan be of the same material as fingers 2 and 3 or alternatively can be made of metal such as aluminum or of other suitable material.

It is also to be understood that, although in the preferred embodiment the device is of tubular design, the device can be one in which base portion 1 is of any suitable shape with the finger members being generally arcuate in cross-section and positioned generally diametrically opposite each other to support a golf ball therebetween.

It is thus seen that this invention has achieved the stated objects by the provision of a novel golf tee which is relatively simple in construction and which comprises a base portion and a pair of vertically extending flexible fingers thereon, each of the fingers being positioned generally diametrically opposite the other and spaced apart sufficiently to support and grip a golf ball near its midportion when placed in operative position.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may Ibe employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated 4in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A golf tee comprising a base portion and a pair of vertically extending iiexible fingers on said 4base portion, said fingers being formed from a resilient flexible material and being generally arcuate in cross-section and positioned generally diametrically opposite one another about the circumference of said base portion, said fingers being spaced apart and being the sole means for supporting a golf ball substantially about -its equator.

2. The golf tee of claim 1 in which its lower rear portion is undercut to partially receive the face of a golf club when striking a golf ball positioned on said tee.

3. The golf tee of claim 1 in which the top surfaces of said fiexible fingers are sloped forwardly upwardly.

4. The golf tee of claim 1 in which lip members are provided on the inside of said flexible fingers to assist in supporting and positioning a golf ball between said lingers.

5. The golf tee of claim 1 in which said base portion has a fr-ont wall extending between said fingers in the region below the lower surface of a golf ball when held between said fiexible fingers.

6. The golf tee of claim 1 in which said exible fingers taper in thickness from front to rear.

7. The golf tee of claim 1 in which said base portion is tubular.

8. The golf tee of claim 1 in which means are provided between said fiexible fingers for supporting and vertically positioning the underside of a golf ball.

9. A golf tee comprising a vertically tubular base portion with an undercut in the rear side thereof, a pair of flexible fingers extending vertically upwardly from said base portion, each of said fingers being positioned generally diametrically opposite the other to support a golf ball therebetween, said fingers being spaced apart and being the sole means for gripping a golf ball resiliently near the equator thereof, said iiexible fingers tapering in thickness toward the rear of the tee and the tips of said fingers sloping upwardly from the rear to the front thereof, said base port-ion having -a front wall located below the lower surface of a golf ball when positioned lbetween said fingers, and a pair of lip members on the respective inner faces of said fingers to assist in the support and positioning of a golf ball when placed between said fingers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,671,813 5/1928 Clarke 273-211 1,73 8,596 12/ 1929 McLeod 273-211 XR 1,897,519 2/1933 Kershaw JA- 273-21] XR 2,455,705 12/1948 Seager 273-211 2,456,511 12/ 1948 Isserstedt 273--205 3,161,411 12/1964 Cockburn 273-211 XR References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,311 10/1948 Andreasen. 2,457,670 12/ 1948 Harvey.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. I. BOVASSO, Examiner. 

1. A GOLF TEE COMPRISING A BASE PORTION AND A PAIR OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE FINGERS ON SAID BASE PORTION SAID FINGERS BEING FORMED FROM A RESILIENT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND BEING GENERALLY ARCUATE I CROSS-SECTION AND POSITIONED GENERALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID BASE PORTION, SAID FINGERS BEING SPACED APART AND BEING THE SOLE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A GOLF BALL SUBSTANTIALLY ABOUT ITS EQUATOR. 